Yesterday we took a look at Proverbs 31:11-20. In that study, Carol Schultz went through some of the specifics of how this virtuous woman functions in her home, and the marketplace. Today we continue that study with a look at Proverbs 31:21-31, and what it says about her character and spiritual life.

The following is a guest post by Carol Schultz (read her full bio below):

[Khaleef here: Please read the first article in order to fully understand what follows]

A woman who reaches her full potential in Christ:

How many of us allow ourselves or our spouses to reach this level of achievement? How many are secure enough in themselves and their spouse to allow them this much freedom? To encourage it and brag about it? The New Testament speaks much about a husband loving their wives like Christ loved the church.

Does this mean that women are always to be pampered and filling their time with trivialities because of boredom? By no means, Christ loved the church enough to not only lay down his own life but to allow them to achieve their highest potential.

Why should the ungodly say that the Christian women do not have the fulfillment that comes from achieving their potential and fully utilizing their talents? Was it God that told us to act like that?

This is no way is intended to minimize or set aside the role of motherhood by giving it back seat to career aspirations. The role of motherhood is the greatest privilege and responsibility that any woman can have. Many women aspire that as their greatest work and goal.

This was true of me and I reveled in being able to love and train my children in all aspects of life to the best of my ability. I have never heard anyone ever ask what Mary the mother of Jesus’ career was as she had the greatest role all cut out for her by God himself.

A woman who is liberated:

As I think of many of the women in the Bible I consider Jael, Deborah, Ruth, Esther, and many more. In many ways these were the true “Liberated Woman” for they were liberated from chasing materialism, sin and deceit, and idle activity and gossip.

In our Christian liberation of being free from sin we are now able to achieve the highest level of our skills and talents to the glory of God the Father. How much interest and influence can this have in our homes, churches, communities, businesses, and the world?

A woman who is unique:

Each of us has unique goals, talents, dreams and aspirations. Each of us are as individual as a snowflake. It is in the finding of that uniqueness that we fulfill our purpose. Imagine the testimony we would have to the world if we were able to embrace this.

We read about the deplorable treatment of women in other countries and know in our hearts that this is not what God intended. It is easy to think that we are far superior after all, women have excelled at home, in business, and in politics. Closer yet to home maybe is the question of not how much we do but how much are we capable of doing? I’m not speaking so much about the big public displays so much as the more personal challenges we face each day like dirty socks on the floor, or who’s taking out the trash.

Of course all things require a division of responsibility but is it always done with consideration, respect, and appreciation? Anything less is less than our calling and I know that readers of Faithful With a Few desire to be challenged to seek the highest levels.

A woman who is supported:

So tonight or when a quiet moment comes up if you have not done so lately how about asking your wives, daughters, and sisters of the family and of Christ, “Honey, what are your dreams, what are your ambitions, what would give you great satisfaction?” Their answers might surprise you and if it doesn’t and those things are already in motion then pat yourself on the back. You’re doing a great job.

A woman who is praised:

Proverbs 31:28 and Proverbs31:31 speak of the praise this woman shall receive from her husband, children, and community. Be generous in praise to one another and don’t take things for granted. This is often the encouragement needed to motivate us to continue to strive for excellence.

Fan the sparks of purpose so that they will become a brighter and glowing light. Ultimate fulfillment does not apply to any predetermined course. It comes from the freedom for people to seek God’s will within their purpose and living it to the fullest, whether that is as a stay-at-home homeschooling mom, a career, or volunteering for a worthy cause.

The first praise bestowed on the Proverbs 31 woman comes from her family so that is where it begins.

A final word:

This passage of scripture is so meaningful to me that one post cannot contain all the phases and changes that it has made in my own life. What I most would like to convey is best summarized in the scripture Matthew 5:14-16 : “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.“

This is a guest post from Carol Schultz, the author of In The Trenches: Financial Survival During Times of Hardship . Carol is a former manager and procedural analyst in banking. Her career came to an abrupt end when she resigned to care for a terminally ill parent. As the family finances plummeted, the single-parent family ultimately moved to the rural town of her forefathers where they fixed up a 100 year old homestead, raised animals, planted vegetables, chopped wood, home schooled, and embraced the self-sufficiency lifestyle. She wrote a book about her experiences and financial survival tactics to help others who might end up In The Trenches. Carol maintains a blog at inthetrenches2009.blogspot.com.

She endeavors to write and instruct others to return to sound Biblical financial principles and live a financial lifestyle that is more independent from the world system that we might retain our freedom as long as possible.

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Thank you Khaleef for the opportunity to present this post and to the readers who shared it. The Bible is so alive with wisdom that it is always challenging to grow and learn from the model set before us. So comforting to have a compass for our journey.